This tiny, mainly Shia country is relatively tolerant, compared to many of its Arab neighbours, and its Constitution provides for religious freedom. A large number of expatriate Christians work and live in Bahrain and are relatively free to practise their faith in private, but evangelising Muslims is illegal. Christians from a Muslim background also face pressure from family members, community leaders and government officials. Bahrain is very influenced by the politics of neighbouring Saudi Arabia. (Photo: Rory via Flickr; CC 2.0)

A new cathedral being built in Bahrain will serve as the ‘seat of government’ of the Catholic Church for the northern Persian Gulf, reports AsiaNews. The Cathedral of Our Lady of Arabia, patron saint of the Arabian Peninsula, to hold 2,000 people, is some 20 km outside the capital Manama, […]

The King of Bahrain has sought to promote his country as a global champion of religious tolerance, with a declaration that advocates freedom of religion for all and rejects extremism. In the Bahrain Declaration, King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa “unequivocally reject[s] compelled observance”. The one-page pledge, which was co-sponsored […]